A penetrating weapon system is designed to destroy hard targets, which typically are armored vehicles and at least one thing associated with a reinforced structure, buried underground, or combination. The penetrating system includes one or more explosive charges, and a fuze or portion of a fuze for detonating each charge. A fuze also may be an electronic safe and arm device (ESAD), electronic safe, arm, and fire (ESAF), warhead initiation module, or other electronics for initiating ordnance. Each fuze includes one or more electronic devices for controlling one or more electro-explosive devices. Each electro-explosive device initiates an explosive train which may include a charge, warhead, or combination.
The penetrating system, in the form of a bomb, shell, missile, or other munition, guided or unguided, has at least one charge called a penetrator or follow-through warhead. The penetrating system may have a second charge, such as a shaped-charge warhead. After proximity or impact to a surface, the shaped-charge warhead detonates and bores a passage for the follow-through warhead. Then the follow-through warhead penetrates and detonates to destroy the target, whether it is an armored ship or land vehicle, a reinforced building structure, a buried bunker, etc. Without the shaped charge warhead, the penetrator impacts a surface, penetrates, and detonates to destroy the target.
Systems launched by a gun may contain one or more explosive charges, electronics, and one or more electro-explosive initiators. Gun firing can apply setback acceleration and shock, balloting shock, and set forward acceleration and shock to the electronics and electro-explosive initiators.
The electronic device, electro-explosive device, or combination can be damaged and prevented from functioning properly due to mechanical shock from gun firing, as the penetrator impacts the structure, penetrates, slaps a structure, or from pyrotechnic shock from detonation of an explosive charge. Prior attempts to mitigate shock and thereby protect electronic components in a penetrator have included placing a plurality of glass beads between an electronics housing and an electronic device, placing a potting material between the housing and the electronic device, and mounting the electronic device in a metal cup and holding the cup in a metal housing with a metal cover.